In a previous article, [Building for well-being](/blog/building-for-well-being/ "Building for Well-being"), we explored how the Construction Industry can improve the quality of life for occupants as we learn that the built environment can influence and enhance the health and well-being of others. In this article, we dive into how design plays an essential role in well-being as we explore the following questions: **Why is Wellness Design important?** and **How can designers implement Wellness into the interior of spaces?** Keep reading to find how you can help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## WHY IS WELLNESS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
Design plays an important role when it comes to health with a report from the [](https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/about-us/the-institute-of-health-equity/our-current-work/collaborating-with-the-health-foundation-"Institute of Health Equity") showcasing that the life expectancy in the United Kingdom has stopped increasing along with health inequality rising. In 2010, the UK Government commissioned Professor Sir Michael Marmot to review health inequalities across England. He reported that the circumstances of our ages, where we were born, live, work, and grow up; all impact our health.

In 2018, the 'Build Well to Live Well' report by the [Global Wellness Institute](https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018Research_BuildWelltoLiveWell_v12FINAL53118_web.pdf "Global Wellness Institute") stated that ***"the way our homes have been built in the last century is reinforcing lifestyles that make us sick, stressed, alienated, and unhappy."*** highlighting how the built environment contributes to polluted air, stress, poor diets, loneliness, alienation and a lack of exercise. A Wellness Design hopes to tackle these issues and focus on creating positive spaces that can reduce stress and contribute to good physical health.

## HOW CAN DESIGNERS IMPLEMENT WELLNESS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SPACES?

Subsequently, designing for Wellness can improve everyday life for people by boosting productivity, encouraging healthy lifestyles and creating spaces that support community to help people live long, happy lives.

On your next project, whether you are designing for a communal area, a living area or a workplace office, here are seven key factors that you can consider to incorporate Wellness:

### AIR
In the United Kingdom, the cities: Glasgow, London, Leeds and Manchester all have very significant high levels of Particulate Matter (PM). Living in highly polluted areas can have significant risks to your health. Scientists have linked breathing in 'dirty air' to causes such as asthma, diabetes, liver damage, kidney damage and cancer. To express even further how air pollution is damaging to humans, in 2017, the [European Commission](https://ec.europa.eu/info/index_en "European Commission<")" gave a final warning to the UK about its declining air quality, demanding that within [two months to comply with the air pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/15/european-commission-issues-final-warning-to-uk-over-air-pollution-breaches "two months to comply with the air pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide" (NO2) or be taken to court.

With people in the UK spending only [8% of their time outside](https://www.imaginfires.co.uk/blog/air-pollution/ "8% of their time outside"), it's extremely important that the quality of air indoors is greater since that's where we spend most of our time. Below we outline how we can design to reduce indoor air pollution:

- Avoiding wall-to-wall carpeting can help the space be cleaned more efficiently, and having easy to reach crevices can prevent the build-up of dirt and dust. Choosing to design with hardwood flooring instead of carpet can maintain the air quality
- Activities like installing carpets, making a space smell nice with air fresheners, painting with household paints and cooking with charcoal can cause [VOC-based pollution](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality "VOC-based pollution"). Designing spaces that use low-VOC materials is a great way to reduce the off-gassing of VOCs to limit people coming into contact with harmful, harsh chemicals
- Implementing a built-in air purifying system can help reduce dust particles and airborne pollen.  Air purifiers are a great way to clean the air, especially if those using the spaces will be spending most of their time indoors

### WATER
Did you know that water makes up 60% of the human body? Staying hydrated is crucial to keep the body functioning and so implementing designs to encourage the intake of water can have substantial health benefits.

- Installation of water stations and touchless faucets in spaces to encourage people to stay hydrated and drink more water
- Add filters to water supplies to improve the quality and taste of water. Adding a filter to shower systems can also decrease certain chemicals such as chlorine coming into contact with skin reducing skin damage and dryness
- Inserting grab bars into shower spaces can also make the bathroom more accessible to those with disabilities; it will also reduce accidents and injuries as people can grip onto the rails when the surfaces become wet and slippery

### LIGHT
Our circadian rhythm helps keep our internal body clock in check, enabling us to stay alert in the mornings and feel tired by night (the sleep-wake cycle). However, light plays an essential part in how our body feels throughout the day. It can suppress the body's melatonin production (a hormone helping the sleep-wake cycle), making our circadian rhythm out of whack and affecting our sleep quality. Quality sleep is vital since without it can pose a range of [serious health concerns](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/ "serious health concerns") and so here are some design ideas to help keep the body's circadian rhythm in check:

- Install windows or extend the length of existing windows to allow more natural light to seep into the building as natural light can boost productivity and mood
- Design the placement of furniture around the natural lighting and outdoor views and consider automatic solar shades that will adjust throughout the day in correlation to the sun changing the position to reduce glare and heat
- Incorporate colour temperature changing light bulbs and adjustable light fittings within the building to prevent eye strain, set the lighting the suits the individual's needs and help the body's circadian rhythm

### COMFORT
Since we are among an ageing population with 60% of total household growth in England coming from those aged 65 or over, it's important to consider comfort for the elderly.

- Design areas that encourage mentally stimulating activities such as reading since studies have shown that brain exercise activities such as reading slowed down the rates of memory decline in the elderly
- Regardless if it's a home or office space, it's also worth designing spaces that promote productivity and limit distractions. To do this, you can incorporate quiet and loud zones, so depending on the activity, everyone can select the area that is best suited for them
- Make sure to create spaces where everyone can have access to, for instance, making entrances and pathways suitable for wheelchair access and inserting railings and grip bars in rooms where people may struggle accessing
- Furniture such as standing desks can also promote activity and reduce long periods of sitting in the same place

### MIND
In the above section, we mentioned creating spaces that boost productivity and limit distraction as it is a great way to keep the mind active. However, relaxing and allowing the mind to switch off is equally important.

To create comfortable atmospheres, you can build a robust indoor-outdoor connection using a biophilic design. Likewise, using a biophilic method can help to bring the outdoors inside. The [International Well-Building Institute](https://standard.wellcertified.com/mind/biophilia-i-qualitative "International Well-Building Institute") breaks down three steps in how you can achieve this:

1. Nature incorporation: Place nature into the environment by using lighting, space layout and environmental elements
2. Pattern incorporation: implement patterns of nature into the design
3. Nature interaction: provide people with the ability for sufficient human-nature interactions

### NOURISHMENT
From making sure there's plenty of room and storage space in the kitchen to appropriate seating in a dining area, there's plenty of behavioural cues and encouragement of healthy eating you can provide to encourage people to stay nourished:

- An outdoor space to advocate for getting fresh air and exercise and take up gardening to grow organic fruit and vegetables
- A dedicated spot for fruit and vegetables such as pull out shelves to make nutritional food easily accessible and provide a cue that reminds people to eat healthy foods
- Plenty of kitchen spaces to prepare meals and store cooking ingredients and kitchen equipment to promote the habit of cooking homemade meals
- Include visual cues likes signage to remind people of the healthy options and alternatives available to encourage healthier eating habits and choices

### FITNESS
Exercising daily is essential if you want to remain fit and healthy as it can improve your muscle strength, increase your energy levels, help you get good quality sleep, and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Below are ways in which design can influence maintaining fitness:

- Creating a workout space or room makes it easier to work out and get exercise, especially if you don't have access to a gym or a back garden. Storage spaces can also be helpful when it comes to storing athletic equipment
- An area for bicycle storage (this could be in the garage or shed) to promote cycling
- Making area's attractive to exercise with art, music and lighting, so people get an incentive to use staircases instead of lifts

Learn how the design of your environment can influence your health and well-being as we discuss Wellness Design and how you can implement it to make positive changes.

Designing for Wellness

Building for well-being can help improve the quality of life for occupants. In today’s article, we are going to be exploring building for health and well-being by answering the following questions: **what is health and well-being?** and **How can the Construction Industry enhance the health and well-being of others?** Keep reading and find out how construction for health and well-being can help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## WHAT IS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING?

The [World Health Organisation](https://www.who.int/ "World Health Organisation") (WHO) defines well-being as: "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Therefore, well-being considers psychological, physiological, and social factors in health and illness.

According to the [Department of Health](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/277566/Narrative__January_2014_.pdf "Department of Health"), well-being has two dimensions: subjective well-being and objective well-being. Subjective well-being (personal well-being) includes evaluations of life satisfaction, positive emotions, and if their life is meaningful where as, objective well-being is centred around ideas and assumptions of basic human needs and rights.

The Department of Health also provide us with a list of why well-being matters to health:  

- well-being increases life expectancy 
- Improves recovery from illness and resistance to developing an illness
- People with high well-being are more likely to have a healthy diet, engage in physical activity, and less likely to smoke
- High well-being is also associated with health behaviours among children and young people and lowers likelihood of them engaging in health risk behaviours
- Influences the well-being and mental health of those close to us
-It can determine how staff and health care providers’ work
- well-being is associated with broader positive outcomes e.g. employment, relationships, crime, and so on 
- It can cause implications for decisions for patient care practises and services as well as treatment decisions and costs
- Can influence the decisions about local services
- Focusing policies on well-being could lead to improved well-being and reduce the healthcare burden

## HOW CAN CONSTRUCTION ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF OTHERS?

Health and well-being is therefore determined by a combination of factors and today we will be focussing on the built environment and how the Construction Industry can influence and enhance the health and well-being of others. 

The quality of a building can significantly influence the health and well-being of the occupants and the building's Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) verifies the quality of a building's environment by a number of factors such as: air quality, lighting, damp conditions, odours, sound levels, and so on. For this instance, below we discuss how the Construction Industry can build for well-being and an enhance quality of life: 

- **Design for social interaction**: homes for families which are overcrowded can increase stress and diminish the quality of relationships. To therefore boost social interaction and family relationships, the design of homes should meet the recommended space standards for size of rooms, storage, and outdoor space. Incorporating rooms for dedicated activities, large spaces for group activities and small retreat spaces for quiet time. The adaptable space provides opportunities for social interaction and time out
- **Boost smart technologies**: with wearable devices allowing you to monitor health and well-being and applications enabling the monitoring and control of the environment e.g. lighting and heating, means that health and well-being information can be right at our fingertips. Internet of Things (IoT) devices gather real-time data and feed us information on the ventilation, air quality, and temperature, and so on helping occupants to make any necessary adjustments to suit their needs but also interested buyers can access this information for consideration to determine the quality of living and if to purchase 
- **Improve internal air quality**: poor air quality in homes can increase risk health issues for example high levels of moisture can create mould and dust mites which can cause health issues like asthma and skin conditions. Providing homes with clean quality air therefore can reduce health risks and However, it is possible to provide sufficient clean, cool, outside air without allowing the access of external pollutants. The Passive House concept encourages the use of high quality ventilation technology with a heat recovery system, that continuously removes high pollution and humid air and supplies fresh air to other rooms to provide fresh indoor air to provide a healthier environment
- **Carefully consider window designs and lighting**: natural lighting can provide numerous benefits which include enhanced sleep quality, mood, energy, and overall quality of life. The design of windows plays an important role when it comes to lighting, along with the views from the window, solar gain, heat loss, and openings. When it comes to the colour of electric lighting warmer lighting can be used for a more ‘natural’ feel. Carefully considering window designs that allow the home to be lit with daylight can also benefit the environment as it will help to reduce energy consumption and lower carbon emissions due to the less electricity needed for electric lighting and the retaining of heat
- **Reduce noise levels**:  the environment plays a role in the quality of sleep. Poor sleep can contribute to psychical and mental health. Acoustic design and noise control improvements can enable occupants to feel in control of their environment and help concentration. Although, on the contrary, it is also important to note that urban soundscape can also be welcomed as it could provide comfort and presence of the city amongst other areas 
- **Adaptable for the aging population**: [The Office for National Statistics](https://www.ons.gov.uk/ "The Office for National Statistics") have predicted that between 2008 and 2033, 60% of total household growth in England will come from households headed by someone aged 65 or over. Due to this it is important that designs be flexible and adaptable to changing lifestyles and technologies to improve the quality of life for the elderly, and those suffering from a disability or illness. The [Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation](https://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/browse/Design-building/HAPPI/ "Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation") (HAPPI) have created ten key design principles which caters to the needs of the aging population by offering an attractive alternative to the family home as well as being able to adapt over time to meet changing needs 
- **Provide greener spaces**: the WHO have reported that green spaces improve mental health and therefore incorporating green spaces such as a small garden can add privacy to the home and roof terraces, planting can encourage healthy and happy environments. Green spaces combined with open spaces can also be useful for children as it promotes a healthy lifestyle as they can play and get exercise

We cover what health and well-being is and how the Construction Industry can influence and enhance the health and well-being of others.

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